Computing Sciences at the College

Computer science is the study of the theory and practice of computation.
A computer scientist creates new hardware and software that is more efficient, effective,
and reliable. Computer information systems, on the other hand, is the study of the use
of computers for systematic organization of data that supports efficient and accurate
collection, processing, analysis and retrieval of information. An information system specialist
applies existing technology to solve real world problems. Both incorporate aspects of several
other fields: mathematics, to analyze the properties of algorithms and data structures; engineering,
to design and construct practical programs and machines; the experimental sciences,
both to investigate the behavior of programs running on real machines and to use programs for
modeling scientific phenomena; the cognitive sciences, to develop "intelligent" programs
and to study computation in relation to human intelligence; and business administration,
to identify information needs of organizations.

The programs offered by the department provide students with an excellent basis for a
variety of careers and for graduate study. Possible careers include programming,
system analysis and design, maintenance, management and user support of software
in areas such as business, science, engineering, and computer systems. Fields of
graduate study include computer science, mathematics, information systems,
information management, and various areas of science and engineering.

The computing sciences programs at The College at Brockport
are rigorous and strive to present students with the most thorough
education possible in this rapidly changing field. Students may select from courses
designed to prepare them for a wide variety of postgraduate and career goals.
The purpose of this section is to provide information which will aid the student
in developing the program which best suits his or her individual needs.

A student interested in computing sciences has several options to choose from:

Both majors offered by the department have several entry-level courses in common.
Hence, the selection of a specific major and the track, if any, may be postponed until
the sophomore year. Students majoring in computer science have the option of
switching between tracks before graduation. Further, students may choose a major in computer science and a minor in computer information systems, or vice versa, subject to some restrictions in courses and credits.

Students should strive to choose a coherent set of courses aimed at achieving
their educational goals. Suggested course sequences for all programs are presented in the section on
Useful Information for Students.
An individual student's program should, however, be discussed
with his or her faculty advisor. It is suggested that students consider
a minor or a second major in another discipline to complement their computer science or computer information systems major.

Students are strongly encouraged to widen their educational experience
by pursuing
an independent study,
an internship,
a senior thesis,
or a study abroad program.
Students can gain valuable job experience through the Internship program, offered by
the Department of Computer Science, or the
Brockport Career Exploration course (BCEC), offered by the Office
of Career Services. These two are separate programs with distinct requirements. In both cases,
the student works in an employment setting under close supervision; internships and career exploration
may be paid or unpaid, but both award college credit. A third possibility to gain work experience is to
seek on-campus employment in the computing laboratories, in particular with the Information Technology Services or the
Office of Telecommunication Services.
Students interested in pursuing a graduate program are strongly urged to consider an independent study
or the thesis option to test out their potential for independent research and advanced study.
Students interested in pursuing a graduate program are also encouraged to seek work experience as a tutor
or a laboratory assistant, either in the Department of Computer Science or the Student Learning Center.